IPTAY Board of Directors Welcomes Two New Members

Clemson, S.C. – Beginning with the start of the IPTAY 2026 fiscal year on July 1, 2025, the IPTAY Board of Directors will welcome two new members representing IPTAY membership in North Carolina and Georgia. Jay Sutton and David Boykin were elected from a large, dynamic, and diverse pool of publicly nominated candidates and will each begin an initial two-year term.

“The IPTAY Board of Directors is pleased to welcome these two qualified individuals,” said Charles Dalton, Chair of the IPTAY Nominations Committee. “This year’s nominations process presented us with many impressive candidates, and we are grateful for the interest shown in these positions. We look forward to serving this organization alongside Jay and David and value the insight and experience they bring.”

As Sutton and Boykin join the leadership guiding IPTAY’s mission: providing resources to support the academic, athletic, and personal development of Clemson University student-athletes and the competitive success of Clemson Athletics, a new era of Board leadership begins as well. President-Elect Rett Rutland will assume a two-year term as President of the IPTAY Board of Directors and lead the Executive Committee. Also serving two-year terms, the Executive Committee will include Ben Griffith (President-Elect), Mike Crapps (Treasurer), and John Wright, Jr. (Secretary), newly elected to the committee.

“The IPTAY Board of Directors continues to be the driving force behind IPTAY’s mission, vision, and core values, while serving as great ambassadors for IPTAY and Clemson Athletics,” said Davis Babb, IPTAY CEO. “As we welcome two new members and begin the term of a new Board President, I want to thank Billy Milam for his steady and committed leadership over the last two years. I also extend my thanks to Charles Dalton for his service to the Nominations Committee. I’m excited to begin working with Jay and David and appreciate their willingness to serve this organization.”

A brief biographical background is provided for the new members below:

David W. Boykin III
David Boykin is a 1994 Clemson graduate with a B.S. in Management and has been an IPTAY member for 32 years. He will represent District VIII, which includes IPTAY members in Georgia. Originally from Atlanta, David and his family now reside in Statesboro, Georgia, where they own and operate two freestanding Chick-fil-A restaurants. He became a Chick-fil-A operator in 1997.

Active in the Statesboro community, David has been involved in his family’s church, served on the Board of Directors for the Dogtown Hunting Retriever Club, coached youth sports at various levels, and served on the Culinary Advisory Board for the local school system. He has also served on the Clemson Family Advisory Board while both of his daughters attended Clemson.

David and his wife, Beth, have two daughters: Bryan, a two-time Clemson graduate (B.A. in 2023, M.S. in 2025), and Garris, who will graduate in 2025.

Boykin on being chosen to serve the IPTAY Board of Directors: “I am excited to support our Clemson Family in this pivotal time of college athletics. It is a privilege to serve the school that has been such an important part of my family and my life. Go Tigers!”

Jay Sutton
Jay Sutton graduated from Clemson in 1984 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and has been an IPTAY member for 41 years. He will represent District IX, covering IPTAY members in North Carolina. Now residing in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., Jay is recently retired after serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Southern Company Gas, the second-largest natural gas company in the U.S., serving nearly 4.5 million customers. He began his career there in 1984 and remained with the company for 41 years.

While living in Atlanta, Jay was active in the community, serving on the boards of Junior Achievement of Georgia and the Chattahoochee Nature Center, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, coaching youth sports, and being active in his family’s church. Jay and his wife, Karen (Schoen) Sutton, have generously supported Clemson through the Schoen Foundation. Their philanthropic efforts include gifts to Clemson Athletics’ Student-Athlete Development program, specifically POWER: Women’s Leadership Academy, and Clemson University’s Office of Military and Veteran Engagement.

Jay and Karen have two daughters, Ainsley and Kelsey, and now reside full-time in Ocean Isle Beach.

Sutton on serving the IPTAY Board of Directors: “I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve on the IPTAY Board of Directors. Joining this incredible group of leaders dedicated to supporting Clemson student-athletes is both a privilege and a responsibility I deeply value. I look forward to contributing to IPTAY’s continued success and giving back to a community that means so much to me.”